The rational part of her brain registered a lot of things happening at once. Her mom running towards her, Tyler flashing to her side in an instant, the guests separating into witches with outstretched hands and vampires with bared fangs. Everyone was shouting or cursing, their voices blurring into a sea of chaos.

But another part of her brain, which was still in a daze from the blood and death that barely passed her by, focused on the only person who had stayed silent. Klaus was holding her shoulders in a tight grip, stormy eyes checking her body up and down over and over, his jaw clenched from what was no doubt a blinding rage, but also something akin to panic.

Caroline was about to offer some kind of reassurance – though why he needed any she was at a loss – when her mom pulled her from Klaus's arms and took over the checking. A snarl rumbled in Klaus's throat, the first sound she'd heard from him since the danger out of nowhere buried itself in his flesh.

"Caroline are you alright? Are you hurt?" Her mom asked frantically.

She nodded in a hurry, "yeah I'm fine mom, I'm fine. Klaus –"

Saved her.

She turned around and looked the hybrid over, seeing the long arrow still sticking out of his back, the blood stain growing on his already ruined tux.

"May I?" She gestured carefully.

Klaus stared at her hard for a moment before inclining his head, not uttering a word. Giving her mom's hand one more squeeze, Caroline walked to stand behind him, one hand bracing on the tense muscles of his shoulder, the other gripping the arrow. His blood felt warm and squishy under her fingers.

"Ready?"

Only a humorless grunt from him.

She pulled the arrow out in one swift move, the friction between metal and flesh making her sick to her stomach. Before she could ask the silent hybrid how he was, the arrow was snatched from her hand.

"Spelled. Someone doesn't want their little toy to be heard," Klaus's younger brother – Kol was his name, if she remembered correctly – examined the arrow with a rakish smirk, before wiggling his eyebrows at Klaus. "You're losing your touch, Nik."

"Just like the witches to pull a trick like this," the female Original huffed beside him. "Told you we shouldn't trust them."

"Not now, Rebekah," Klaus growled, apparently having been through this subject enough times with his siblings.

The oldest sibling Elijah joined their little circle with sharp eyes and an exigent presence, "not that I don't share the sentiment, Niklaus – and forgive me for the lack of proper greetings, Miss Forbes, but current circumstances demand our immediate attention, so at the risk of sounding coarse – what now?"

Klaus narrowed his eyes, voice soft yet deadly, "now I go tear out the throats of whoever's behind this, and I'm going to make it very loud."

"Do you even know who's behind this?"

Klaus aimed his harsh glare at Liz who had dared speak up, but one side glance at Caroline and he redirected his rage at the witches in the guests, "I don't need to. As far as I'm concerned they are all suspects. I can start with those two." he smirked darkly at Grayson and Miranda, who immediately joined hands and started chanting what Caroline assumed was the most complicated spell of defense in their coven. "And then I'll simply work my way through the crowd."

Caroline raced over to stand between him and the witches, blocking his undoubtedly murderous path, "no, you are not turning this into the Red Wedding!"

She heard Kol's cheer on the side, "oh I love that show!" And while Rebekah rolled her eyes and Elijah sent a scolding glance, Klaus put his hands on her shoulders again and switched their places, now his body blocking her from the witches.

"I don't get the reference love, but I'm very tempted."

"Well stay tempted because you're not doing it!"

"They aimed it at you!" Klaus shouted in her face, chest heaving from the outburst. "Didn't you hear, love? It was spelled – they didn't want me to hear it so they could murder you right in front of my eyes. Your own people. Now give me one single reason why they shouldn't pay, excruciatingly."

Caroline bit her lips. It hurt, knowing that there were witches involved in the plan of her death. But out of the both of them, at least one should keep a level head, and it seemed right now that it would have to be her, "you can't seriously tell me that you didn't expect something like this, Klaus."

"I didn't know my prediction would make it pardonable," every word sounded like he was grinding a knife.

"Look, I'm not asking you to forgive them. But once again, you don't know who they are, this is not the time, and slaughter is definitely not the solution."

"I agree," Kol chimed in again. "Nik's a brute who doesn't know how to have fun. Torturing is so much better."

"Nobody's getting tortured!" Caroline threw up her hands.

"Why? Does it unsettle your poor stomach, little witch?" Rebekah mocked.

Caroline swore she would lose it if she heard one more word from this bunch. They really were siblings. She clenched her fists and glared at the blonde Original, "you have a thousand years on me, and the only productive input you can come up with is a cheap shot at me for no reason?"

"She's calling you dumb and old, Bekah!" Kol was, apparently, more than eager to offer his very unwelcome translation.

Before Caroline or Rebekah could say anything, Elijah cleared his throat, "is the infighting really necessary right now?"

Klaus smirked, baring his fangs, "thank you, Elijah. We could do it later, after we slaughtered our enemies."

"No you're not!" Hastening to stop him, Caroline grabbed a handful of the lapels of his tux, wrinkling the delicate material beyond repair. Oh it was ruined anyway.

"And how are you going to stop me?" Klaus flashed his golden eyes at her, prying her fingers off one after another, his hand firm but surprisingly unviolent, sending shivers rather than pain down her nerves.

Caroline forcefully shook off his hand that was still glued to hers, along with its lingering heat, "don't you ever think about the consequences of your actions?"

He fixed his lapels in an affected air of nonchalance, "first lesson in this marriage, sweetheart: absolute power brings absolutely no consequences."

"There is no marriage yet. We haven't finished the ritual," Caroline reminded him with a pointed look. "And at this rate there won't be."

"I fail to see how that is any concern of mine."

She knew he was acting, that he wasn't totally indifferent, but she still felt an overwhelming urge to slap him. Instead, she settled for another cutting glare, her voice raising as emotions ran amok inside her, "look at them, Klaus." She stressed, waving a hand at the crowd, "they are people. Some of them your people. Not all of them want to fight and if you go ahead and do whatever your freaking impulses dictate, you're failing them and giving your real enemies exactly what they want." From the corners of her eyes she could see the crowd frozen, all eyes on her now that they were able to hear every word out of her mouth, and she couldn't stop. So she took in a shaky breath, and delivered the last blow, "you claim you are the King. Act like one."

The silence was as loud as the waterfall still booming in the background, oblivious to the tension at hand, pounding in everyone's ears. Klaus's face was devoid of emotions, something harsh and vicious brewing underneath the surface, "and you think forcing my hand in front of all these – 'people' –" He made a dramatic pause, the mocking air quotes clear in his voice, "is going to get you what you want?"

"I think," Caroline replied quietly, "that I'm getting you what you want, when you seem hell bent on sabotaging it."

"And pray tell what it is that I want?" His voice, equally quiet now, warned, or rather taunted, obviously aware of what she was alluding to.

Unfortunately for him, warnings she didn't always heed; but taunts she always met head-on, "I've been crystal clear about my reasons for agreeing to this marriage. I just hope you don't forget yours."

His eyes twitched infinitesimally, dark steel blue seething over the sharp intake of breath. And she knew she had him, before he even opened his lips, "do you really believe that little empty threat of yours is going to work on me?"

"You tell me. You were the one who gambled on a possibility."

Klaus stared at her long and hard, his face a sea of fury, danger now coming off of him in waves. Caroline could feel her mom and Tyler trying to approach her in stealth, but she stopped them with a surreptitious shake of her head, keeping her eyes on the hybrid. Moments later, Klaus whipped around with a growl, and addressed the crowd in a hoarse voice filled with cold rage, "anyone who wishes to leave here in one piece, settle down. You were invited here as witnesses, so watch, and pray that you were not responsible for that little stunt back there." He had his back to Caroline, but she could see the crowd obeying him, a look of terror in their eyes, no matter their species or allegiance. "On the off chance that you were, you can start brainstorming ways to beg, but know that I will not stop either way."

Caroline shuddered at those words, not from the deadly threat they carried, but the familiar stirring they roused in her.

Composing herself, she started walking towards the crowd, knowing they needed to resume the ritual on a better note than Klaus's off-putting speech. She rolled her eyes on the inside, biting back a suffering sigh. Did he have to be so dramatic all the time? And now she had to pick up the pieces, even if she just went through an attempted murder and a taxing staring-match with a pouting hybrid. Her, the bride. This wedding was indeed turning out even more of a disaster than she'd thought.

She felt a slight tug on her ring finger, and realized that the string still kept her and Klaus attached. She kept walking without even a backward glance, and the tug followed her.

"It's like he's on a leash."

She heard Kol snicker. Biting back another sigh, she sent her magic charging towards the youngest Original brother, and was rewarded with a satisfying "ouch". At least she was getting better at this aiming in the dark thing. She had a hunch she'd soon excel at it.

Stopping just a few feet from the crowd, she stood right in the middle of the two divided groups. All eyes were on her. Hundreds of little mirrors, assessing her, forming an endless gallery of images that may or may not be true. They were giving her their undivided attention, not because of who she was, but who was standing behind her. And she was going to change that. She had a string attached to her, yes, but she was no puppet. Now she just had to show them.

Caroline swept her eyes across the crowd slowly and surely before she opened her lips, "I know some of you don't want this to happen. That's fair. But from a very early age, I've learned that if you plan to shoot something down, you need to come up with something better. So I ask those of you who don't approve: what do you want? And is it worth it?"

She paused, letting her questions sink in. She could see some of them squirm, and knew she was making the right choice addressing these people directly. All of them may not have wanted her life, but a lot must have secretly rejoiced at the sight of that arrow. She needed to set them straight, and fast. If Klaus happened to want to take a mental note of those who appeared shifty though, it was his business. "We've been at each other's throats for a decade. Did any of you really enjoy it? If you did, then forget what I'm saying and just go pick a fight with him," she gestured at Klaus. "I'm sure he would be more than willing to oblige."

She ignored Klaus's snort and went on, "but don't drag your own people down with you. We all know it's impossible to eliminate one another – if it could be done, we wouldn't all be standing here suffering through this very uncomfortable situation. I'm sure a lot of you would rather be back home and forget that your so-called enemy existed in the first place. Frankly, you should have just done that. But no. You're all so caught up in your drama that you need the symbol of a twenty-year-old marrying…him –" she gestured at Klaus again, this time earning an annoyed tug on her finger. She ignored it again, "– to even consider a change. Lucky for you I'm going to go through with this. It's my choice. You guys needed a gesture, I'm giving you that gesture. The rest is up to you."

She stared them down for a few more seconds before turning around and striding back to the cliff, leaving the pensive faces in a stunned silence. The lack of a tug on her finger told her that Klaus was following closely. When they passed her mom, Tyler, and the Original siblings, she suddenly felt him stop. Whipping around impatiently, she caught the shadow of something screeching through air before landing right at Grayson Gilbert's feet. A few screams splattered, everyone's eyes now drawn to the arrow nailing the hem of Grayson's pantleg to the ground, forcing the man to stand in an awkward crooked position, but otherwise unharmed. For now.

The culprit flexed his fingers in vicious satisfaction and grinned at the crowd, teeth glinting, "choose wisely." Then he turned around and flashed that grin at Caroline as if nothing had happened, drinking in her glare in utter delight, "now sweetheart, let's go get us married. I can't wait to hear your answer."

Do I want to fry his brains again? Caroline silently asked herself.

Yes. Yes, I do.


Caroline woke up disoriented. For a moment she thought she was still at her home, in the bedroom that she'd been sleeping in for the past twenty years. Everything felt so familiar, down to the fine cotton of the sheets and the yellow wallpaper that was supposed to have been discontinued. Then she yawned, stretched, saw the painting hanging on the wall across from her incredibly large bed, and remembered.

She was in the Mikaelson house. In D.C. As a married woman.

Caroline buried herself back under the covers as memories from yesterday came rushing back. She was married to Klaus, in all senses that counted in the supernatural community. She was almost murdered, then saved, then pestered throughout the remaining ritual by Klaus's ever-present smirk and whispered innuendos. By the time the ritual was finally completed and the string that connected their ring fingers disappeared in a soft glow, even the condescending Gloria had showed a little sympathy towards her, "at least I don't have to see him again." Sadly the same couldn't be said about her.

They got into an argument almost the second they started their long car ride to D.C., rehashing everything that happened during the wedding, taking turns calling each other "childish" and "reckless" in colorful language. During the quarrel, Klaus accidentally revealed that he'd put his blood into the water they drank during the ceremony, which effectively pushed their heated bickering to an explosive shouting match. Caroline was furious that he made the decision without even consulting her, and slightly insulted that he pulled the same trick she'd witnessed – nay, eavesdropped as Klaus had jumped to correct her. But the hybrid was defiantly lack of remorse, to the point he didn't even deem the act worthy of an explanation.

The fight was truly phenomenal. During the brief gas stop, Caroline had to buy energy drinks to rejuvenate, Klaus to Caroline's utter disgust came back with blood on his silk shirt collar, and the hybrid who was driving them seized the short window to make a secret call, which Caroline highly suspected was to his therapist.

The second half of the ride was spent in silence, both Klaus and Caroline sulking, playing with their phones, and stealing glances at each other while the hybrid driver avoided eye contact with either of them in the rear-view mirror, for fear that he would set off the frail balance. In spite of the energy drink Caroline dozed off as they hit the traffic going into the city limits, the day more draining than she'd cared to admit. They arrived at the house in Georgetown around early evening, and Klaus had woken her with a few pats on her hand, the movement surprisingly gentle.

He'd seemed subdued when they got off the car, leaving her in the cream-colored mansion without much of a goodbye. Caroline hadn't seen him since, having been led on a brief tour of the house by one of the staff – whatever that meant. She was naturally annoyed with Klaus for the sudden disappearance act. Not that she'd needed him there, but he could have at least shown a modicum of courtesy as the master of the house. The annoyance dissipated completely when she saw the room she'd picked out, taking its place were equal parts wonder and bewilderment.

Even now, looking around her room in daylight, she still couldn't stop the soft flutters of her heart. The spacious bedroom was decorated with evident luxury, but not to the point of aloofness or alienation. Instead, it felt bright and warm, bearing a subtle resemblance to Caroline's old room. It might not be perceivable to a stranger's eyes, but Caroline saw traces of herself in the decor even though outside of the wallpaper and the candles scattering the space, nothing was exactly the same. Yet for some reason she could easily picture herself fitting right into the giant walk-in closet with neatly separated compartments, the vanity with delicate little drawers, and the shelves placed strategically along the walls which she could stack up with books and photos and anything she kept close to her heart.

She couldn't have done a better job herself.

But what perplexed her the most was the painting across from her bed. A rectangular-shaped canvas filled with green shrubbery, done with infinitely fine brushstrokes. She could recognize every row of herbs out of the sea of green, the lemon balm, the thyme, the sage, even the vervain. It was the garden she'd been tending to since she was a teenager, and in the center of the canvas there she was, half kneeling in the embrace of the silent verdure. She had her back to the painter, in the green dress she was wearing the day she first met him. The dress seemed to blend into the plants growing rampant on the whole canvas, and the only bright spots standing out were the gold of her hair, and of the little dandelion flower she held in her hand.

Caroline had stood there staring at the painting for long moments the night before, just as she was staring at it right now. There was no doubt as to who the painter was, the style vividly similar to the drawing of wolf Tyler that she'd hid in her favorite jewelry box. But other questions flooded her mind. She simply couldn't understand Klaus, nor herself when it came to him. Why did he paint it? And why put it in her room? She couldn't explain the sense of comfort and warmth that crept up her heart every time she caught a glimpse of the painting, and she certainly couldn't explain how someone who was able to paint this would leave her all alone in a strange place without so much as a text message.

When she finished her second meal in the house all by herself, Klaus and his siblings nowhere in sight, Caroline was done guessing. He had no right occupying her thoughts when he didn't even care to occupy his own house. With a huff she left the dining room so large she could hear echoes, and started exploring the house. Or more like snooping. But was it really her fault if no one was there to stop her? The house was huge, and she was bored.

After an hour or so of flipping open random books, checking portraits on the wall, and occasionally shaking various antique containers to see what was inside, Caroline stumbled into what she assumed was a den. Upon first look the room was elegant yet nondescript like any other that she'd just been in, but when she set her eyes on the corner table she let out a little excited squeal.

Forget annoying Klaus. If there was one thing good coming out of this wedding, it was definitely the hill of presents now gracing her sight.

Caroline briefly considered waiting for Klaus before opening the gifts, but immediately snorted at the empty room. She would be doing this together with him if he'd actually been here. Plus for someone who'd lived a thousand years with a dozen weddings on his belt, he should find nothing special about this particular part of the deal, while her patience could only battle her curiosity for so long.

So seconds later, Caroline was sitting at the table, tearing into the expensive-looking wrapping papers. A few gifts in and she'd already started to discover a pattern. Vampire gifts were all various sorts of jewelry or antiques, which were nice to look at, but boring nonetheless. Werewolves generally sent ancient charms of protection, and Caroline took a mental note to remind Klaus to be extra gracious when he was penning the thank-you notes – or to write them in the first place. She knew about the nomadic lifestyle of werewolf packs, and the charms which must have been passed down through generations certainly beat anything those vampires dug out of their hoarding storages.

But it was the witches' gifts that really took her breath away. A neatly crafted apothecary case from the Gemini coven containing multiple rare herbs; An old grimoire from the New Orleans witches written in some kind of Asian language, which they probably stumbled upon by accident and had no use of, since the coven practiced solely their own ancestral magic; There were also several spelled objects from covens she hadn't heard of, presumably allies of the Mikaelsons – Caroline set those aside for further inspection. As she slowly got to the bottom of the pile, a small gift box caught her eyes. It was from a coven located in Florida, one that Caroline knew had been a close friend and ally of her own for decades.

The gift was an ornate golden case, with intricate patterns carved into it, but otherwise seemed none too noteworthy. However, the moment she opened it Caroline realized it was a huge mistake.

She was hit with a strong blast of magic, something wicked, but unfamiliar. A disorienting sense of dizziness clouded her head, knocking her off-balance and she almost fell to the floor. A few minutes later her blurry vision gradually cleared up, her mind regaining a grasp on the reality. What was that? Caroline frowned, trying to sit up, but a strange stream of heat crept up her body and suddenly every inch of her felt sensitive and hungry. The mere brush of her shirt on her skin made Caroline gasp, but the needy intake of breath sounded almost like a moan.

Shock gripped her heart, then apprehension, but it seemed right now that every emotion of hers was just feeding the little flames licking inside of her. As she held her head to keep the room from spinning and the fire in her from consuming her rational thoughts, something flashed through the sweltering haze of her mind. A spell that was whispered around covens, something not life-threatening, but nasty, and degrading. Something that felt like Caroline's worst nightmare.

It couldn't be. She couldn't afford to be under that spell, not here, not now.

But every burning cell of her body were screaming the truth that she feared.

With shaking arms and wobbly legs, Caroline pulled herself upright, the simple act taking forever, her body already a weak clammy mess. Nails biting into palms, she forced herself to take step after taxing step, leaning on any vertical surface she could find for support. She dreaded the stairs she would have to drag herself up to her third-floor bedroom, but she had to do it as fast and quietly as possible.

Nobody could find out about this.

Least of all Klaus.